A slew of new Irish family tree hits and messages.....

Several goldmines on the Irish Genealogy front:

A cousin messaged me via Facebook and gave me information that our Gt Gt Grandmother Catherine/Kate Flaherty was really a Faherty -- and was from Camp Street in Oughterard.  All this is new information, and corroborated by another cousin who said our Gt Aunt always said she was from Camp Street Oughterard.   I've posted a query to the Oughterard Heritage webpage asking for any info.

This cousin is also related to me doubly, through the Toole's and the Walsh's of Muckanaghkillew!

Another message via Ancestry from a Hernon who lives in Lettercalla -- she was asking about any connection I might know between my Walsh family and her family of Hernon's and Burkes.  Her Gt Gt Grandmother Mary Burke was a baptismal sponsor for a couple of Paidin Walsh's children, and Thady Walsh (his brother) served as baptismal sponsor for one of Mary's nephews (Tom, son of Robert Burke).  The Burkes lived near the Walsh's -- and supposedly came from Carna, but were evicted, went to Inis Bearachin, then settled in Lettercalla.

So possibly my Maggie, wife of Michael and mother of Paidin, Thady, Michil, Mary, Nuala, et al, was a Burke???? She would be a generation above Mary Burke, so possibly an Aunt of hers -- which would make Mary a 1st cousin of Paidin and Thady et al???

She also said that the photo I had of the old Walsh cabin in Lettercalla was really a Reaney house. She was going to take a photo of the Walsh house.  She said the Walsh and Folan families still don't like each other much, to this day!

And finally, a Connolly DNA hit at 2-4th cousins -- possibly via a brother of Podgeen -- still sorting that out, as the message came through FamilytreeDNA.

When it rains it pours....

Henry Pearce and sons

A recent email from the British Newspaper Archive said they'd posted a newspaper called the Cornwall & Devon Post -- so I had a look through with my usual searches of Hurrell and Pearce.  Lo and behold, I found an article all about my Pearce family of Callington/St. Ive!!!

The article refers to a Henry Pearce, son of Henry Pearce.  In reality this is John Carew Pearce. He is one of the 4 sons of Henry Perace -- the others being Thomas Pearce (of Landrake), Samuel Pearce (of New Zealand), and Nathaniel Hurrell Pearce (my Gt Grandfather - of Torquay). 

Initially I couldn't figure out if this was my family -- as the name Henry Pearce and Army Pensioner didn't seem to fit.  But the other sons and father definitely fit with what I knew.  So, I set out to do some searching on John Carew Pearce (aka Henry).

Turns out I had a missing 1881 census for him -- he was in St Ive in 1871 and 1891, but where was he inbetween?  I had a quick look at Findmypast.com, and searched the British Army records, as he was listed as a pensioner.  This was most unusual, since most men in the area joined the Royal Navy in Plymouth, if they were going into the military.  

Sure enough, there was a John Pearce, born 1853, joining in Burley!!  A huge file for him, with all the corroborating details -- born in St. Ive, Father Henry Pearce of Callington, etc.  Turns out he had been part of the Royal Marines Artillery Militia initially, and then joined the regular Army 2 years later.  Lots of correspondence regarding this....

From his service record, he served a total of 21 years, with 3 years in India, and some Reserve time in Guernsey (where he must have met his wife), and was discharged in Belfast, due to being medically unfit as he was suffering from Brights Disease.

His discharge said his intended place of residence was St Ive, so he returned home just before the 1891 Census.  This article is in 1892, and essentially the Local Authority wanted him to contribute more towards the maintenance of his Father, but he argued the burden should be shared between the 4 sons.  Henry Pearce died later that year, so the case was probably dropped.

Fascinating to see an article from 1892 talking directly about my Pearce family, and leading me to discover a whole British Army career that I knew nothing about!

Charles Montague Pearce

For many years I've been searching for the children of my Great Uncle, Albert Edward "Fred" Pearce. My only leads were that he married an Edith Harrison near Exeter and had 2 sons.  I found one son, Charles M, born in 1913 in Exeter area, but nothing further.

I know that "Fred" (and I assume his wife) were living in Clapham, London in 1915 - based on a business card he put into his Sister's Autograph Book, on her departure for the USA.  He was a commercial artist and used the name Fred Mont. Pearce

I had assumed that this might have been Mortimer, as a tribute to his Sister's husband who essentially raised him --- but now the name Montague appears to be the middle name he was using.  I deduced this from the Civil Registration for his son's death.   In looking for the death of Charles M Pearce, born 1913 -- I found a death for Charles Montague Pearce, born in the correct quarter of 1913, and dying in Islington (London) in 1972.

Now, where did the name Montague come from??

I've also yet to find Alfred Edward "Fred" in the 1939 Register, or the death of his wife Edith (I think she died relatively young, as I know Fred had a "common law wife" named Maisie later in life).  And where did Alfred Edward "Fred" die?   Was he in Islington near his son?  What was the other son's name (brother of Charles Montague Pearce)? Was that son born in London?

I've ordered the death certificate for Charles Montague Pearce -- hoping there will be an informant and a better address than just Islington Reg District.

More to follow.....

UPDATE:  He died in Islington on 14 Aug 1972.  His residence was 27 Hamilton Park, Islington, and he was listed as a Commercial Artist